Ongoing improvements are planned for Asbury Park’s Main Street.
Mark your calendar to attend the Main Street Streetscape Improvements community meeting on Tuesday, August 29, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Council Chambers, 1 Municipal Plaza.
The Main Street reconfiguration will be complete with the addition of benches, bike racks, and trees.
The City of Asbury Park received a Federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant to provide streetscape improvements along Main Street and Deal Lake Drive. “The proposed project will include the installation of over 100 new street trees to improve the aesthetics of the roadway. In addition, new decorative bicycle racks will be installed at various locations along Main Street.”
A Short History
Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition began our work in 2015 when the city rejected the plan by NJDOT to implement the road diet (video explainer here) on Main Street when we read in The Asbury Park Sun that the Mayor stated rejecting the Road Diet plan was his “finest victory”.
A road diet is a reconfiguration of a roadway to allow for smoother, safer movement of traffic, easing congestion, and improving safety, with “traffic calming”.
This was the start:
Envisioning A Better Main Street.
In 2017, after about 18 months of research, communication with NJDOT, plus energetic and wide-reaching community engagement, APCSC and our supporters applauded the Mayor and city council members when the city agreed unanimously (video) to reverse their decision, and to move forward with the NJDOT $19 million planned Road Diet.
In 2021 NJDOT Commemorated the Main St. Road Diet with Director Diane Guiterrez, Lt Gov. Sheila Oliver, NJ Senator Vin Gopal, local Assembly Persons, and Asbury Park Mayor Moor, City manager Donna Vieiro, and Council members, Kendle, and Clayton, Transportation Manager Mike Manzella, and me, Polli Schildge, proudly wearing my distinctive green APCSC T-shirt!
APCSC has been showing up, gaining support and building a strong reputation across the state!
Join us!
Send your email to apcompletestreets@gmail.com
As a 1.4mile sq city, AP could be a model for a truly people-centric, walkable and rollable city. We’re looking forward to many more ongoing improvements for people walking and rolling in AP, as outlined in the Asbury Park Walk and Bike Plan.
Onward~
Polli Schildge, Editor @APcompletestreets